At what point do you call the cops?

[StageLeft]

I stepped out onto my street and apparently my neighbor (who, I have learned, has a nasty temper on him possibly in relation to his getting seperated this year) was exceptionally pissed off at one of the city homeless. I don't know why but when I got there the homeless guy was walking away and my neighbor was cursing and grabbed him and pushed him up against a telephone poll. A few moments later he grabbed the bum again and looked like he was about to bend him over a car - thats when I called the cops. Dunno if they came cause I was on the way to the store.

My gf wasn't sure I should have called the cops but I will never be a lazy bystander as something happens, and that involved either calling cops or getting these guys to stop and quite frankly it wasn't my problem enough that I'd risk getting hurt! Certainly the homeless guy could have pressed charges for assault if he wanted and I used that to base my judgement on.

 

[ChrichtonsGirl]

Sounds like you did the right thing to me. Were you supposed to wait until you were a witness to a murder? That guy sounds unhinged, and the only thing worse than a nutbag like him are people who stand by and do nothing to stop him.

 

[StageLeft]

Yeah its better safe than sorry

And as somebody who took psych in college I've learned all about bystander syndrome and I will never ever be a part of it!

You know, that girl Kitty Genovese (?) who was murdered over the course of like a half hour and a few dozen people watched it from their apartment and nobody thought to call the cops because they all thought that somebody else had, or didn't want to get involved or something. GRRR

 

[FettsBabe]

You did the right thing. I hope the neighbor got what he deserved!

 

[fake]

You did the right thing. Don't feel bad about being a good person.

 

[Yeeny]

You absolutely did the right thing. The problem with todays world is too many people refuse to get involved when needed. You should be proud of yourself, that you stood up for somebody so helpless.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

Yep I agree, you did the right thing. BTW here's the story on Kitty Genovese.

 

[StageLeft]

Well I know the cops didn't talk to the neighbor cause he was about to walk into his house when I decided to finally go to the store...I suppose there is no good in pursuing the matter now as the homeless guy took off. I'm guessing that the homeless guy was doing something with a piece of wood that was on the street (since it was part of the thing somehow) and the other guy was having a bad day and thought he'd get into it, but really it seemed like an overreaction no matter what and my neighbor was pissed! Something happened earlier this year where some kids were outside making noise and he really started getting crazy with them for some reason and went and got his golf club to threaten them instead of calling the cops (moron!!)...anyway a few days later his front window was smashed in. I can't say that upsets me

I guess another call on the same guy (they eventually came that ordeal with the kids) would look bad on the guy...

Thanks for link yo-ma-ma - the relatives of her don't blame the people in apartment...I'd find it tough not to though. In some countries it is now criminal to act in such an apathetic manner.

 

[abracadabra1]

you touch me...i'll give you a look and ask you why you did.
you touch a friend...i'll break your arm in a second
you touch a women/child/elderly...i'll castrate you with my fingernails

don't touch anyone but yourself except in self-defense.

good choice on calling the cops...that dick needed a beating though.

 

[Ulfwald]

Good call, always when in doubt, and you THINK you should call the police, DO IT. Why? Because they had much rather be peace keepers than calling the morgue for a pick up.

 

[Feisters]

You did the right thing by calling the police. Better safe than sorry. But in the city where I live, I don't know if it would have done any good. They're more retroactive than proactive. They write reports after the fact, and don't prevent crime.

The bigger question for me would be, should I step in after calling the cops? In my state at least, one can use deadly force to protect someone else in imminent danger of grave bodily harm or death.

 

[Howard]

Times like that I'd wish I had a sniper rifle.

:|

 

[Russ]

Skoorb,

The guy was a bum. Why are you wasting taxpayer money?

Russ, NCNE

 

[Isla]

Russ,

You are sick. Yet somehow, I like that about you.

 

[Russ]

Isla,

One must be at least moderately deranged to fit in here.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Mday]

freakin' bum... referring to your neighbor.

i would've called the cops.

--

now for the cop joke...

at what time do i call the cops what? jerks, morons, stupid???

yeah, i got enough respect for them to make fun of them =)

seriously i do. it's a hard job, and they "volunteered" for it.

 

[Mday]

times like this, i wish i had the sound of a gun firing on tape... or MP3. play it loud, play it often =)

 

[Feisters]

<< The guy was a bum. Why are you wasting taxpayer money? >>



Russ, just because the guy was a bum, does he deserve to get beat up? Hell, I guess he could have been relieving himself on the guy's front lawn, or even on the guy's car. But Skoorb already established that his neighbor had a history of a short fuse. The bum could have just stumbled and fallen into the guy's garbage cans for all we know. I have experience with street people, and no matter how fcked up they may be, they're still human.

 

[skemlawn]

So if it was his ex-wife it would be wrong to make threatening actions towards her because of her ability to jump through society's hoops, Russ?

After looking at your &quot;head geek&quot; pic, you could easily be confused for a bum if seen walking the street, and I do believe you would want someone to call the cops or step in for your protection if someone was threatening you.

Don't feel bad though, I could be confused for a bum too.

 

[Viper GTS]

Feisters...

That's only the tip of it. You should hear his plan to gather up all the bums &amp; gas them to clean up Seattle.

He's a real freak.

Viper GTS

 

[Wangel]

Sorry to disagree, but unless you wake up and find a dead body on your front lawn, this is about the only time I would call the police. Lets examine your deed of courage. Lets say they arrest this guy and he gets a lawyer. The lawyer will want to know who called the police. They can get the police records and then this crazy will know that &quot;YOU&quot; called the police on him and he will now be focused on &quot;YOU&quot;. Is this what you want? Even if this guy goes to jail, he might have friends or family who are just a crazy and want revenge for the person who turned him in. If it goes to trial, are you prepared to take off work and go to trial? Have your name published in the newspaper? What if this bum got hurt, and decides to sue you because you didn't call the police quicker? If you are prepared and have the time to handle these and many other situations that can and do arrise when calling the police, have fun. Most people don't have time for situations where they have everything to lose and nothing to gain. To summarize, mind your own business in todays &quot;sue everyone&quot; society.

 

[apoppin]

<< . . . this crazy will know that &quot;YOU&quot; called the police . . . >>



That's really really funny. Ever heard of an anonymous call?

&quot;My name?, S-M-I-T-H, J-O-H-N&quot; Especially from a public or cell phone.

 

[Wangel]

<< That's really really funny. Ever heard of an anonymous call? >>



Sorry to inform you, but anonymous call does not work with 911 and most of the other emergency numbers. Likewise, ALL 911 calls are tape recorded. This includes cell phones too!

 

[StageLeft]

Wangel

I find your post very discouraging, and I can only hope that you are never the lone witness when a criminal act is being conducted.

To answer all your questions I say &quot;yes&quot;. I will never ever ignore a crime that is happening. I don't give a damn if I have to testify in court of anything like that, ignoring a crime because you &quot;don't want to get involved&quot; and you're afraid your name will be in the paper for calling 911 on somebody assaulting somebody else? Come on, you aren't serious are you?

I make many of my decisions on life based upon this: &quot;How will I feel 10 years from now based upon what I do here?&quot;, and ignoring somebody who is getting beaten up and failing to call the police just to save myself a little effort is something I would be ashamed about in the future and I hope that with some consideration you would too.

Granted in this case nothing happened, but for all I know the police could have come just in time as the assaulter was running away, as his victim lay bleeding on the ground with his brains on the curb.

Most people don't have time for situations where they have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Ignoring a violent crime makes you lose your self-respect - or at least it should.

Why don't you read the Kitty Genovese link that Yo-ma-ma supplied below, and please tell me you don't still believe what you wrote.

 

[apoppin]

Anonymous calls DO work with 9-1-1.

You don't HAVE to give your name. And the ploice still have to check out your anonymous complaint. Even though the call is recorded - unless it is the crime of the century - and you are calling from a public phone you will NEVER be traced.

Anyway, NEVER let it stop you from reporting a criminal matter to police. Put yourself in the place of the victim. Would you want someone else to call and help you?